Customer Reviews

The Scene Changes (The Amazing Bud Powell)

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This session is quite unsimilar to Bud Powell's earlier and even later recordings. It seems like if Bud had spent some time listening to the recordings done by younger guys like Sonny Clarke. Most of Bud's originals for this session are written in a minor key, and stylistically he uses a more hard-boppish, "funky" touch, especially on "Duid Deed", "Danceland" and "Gettin'There". Ohter tunes like "Down with it", based on Dizzy Gillespie's "Be-Bop", also featuring Paul Chambers with a great arco-solo, or "Crossin'the Channel" sound much more like typical Bud Powell-stuff. By the way: "Crossin'the Channel" turned out to be the only tune on that album, which "survived" on terms of entering in Powell's repertoire on life performances. "Comin'up" as the longest track (with a shorter alternative take as bonus) is another example of Powell playing latin-based material (others are "Un Poco Loco" and "Buster Rides Again" on earlier BlueNote-albums).
This recording from late 1958 was Bud's last session as a leader for BlueNote (5 years later he played with Dexter Gordon on "Our Man in Paris")

"The Scene Changes" is a classic jazz trio album by one of the great jazz pianists of all time. While Bud Powell's best recordings for Blue Note are from the late 40s and early 50s in my opinion (captured on the two volumes of "The Amazing Bud Powell"), this is one of three sessions he made for the label in 1957-58. (The other two are "Bud!" and "Time Waits," and while the former is hard to find as a single issue, all of the above sessions are available as part of "Bud Powell - The Complete Blue Note and Roost Recordings.") The hallmark of Bud's second stint at Blue Note for me is the wonderful sound of these recordings. It might just be the difference between the mono recordings of five and ten years earlier, and the distinct stereo sound of the late 50s, but it makes the music come to life. You can even pick out Bud's trademark moans during his solos (which sometimes get a little old, but they are endearing nonetheless). Sure, his playing wasn't quite what was back in the day, but they are terrific nonetheless. Anyone interested in great piano trio jazz should be thankful that "The Scene Changes" is back in print courtesy of the RVG Edition series.

Bud Powell / The Scene Changes / The amazing Bud Powell: If Bud was worried about the new guys coming up, he doesn't show it. These compositions (his own) and these performances are as good as anything being done in 1958. This is a wonderful album. Five Stars